The Pace Report: Vol 9

In a controversial move internally and externally, Meta is contemplating adding advertisements to WhatsApp, its first step towards monetizing the platform. Although WhatsApp's head Will Cathcart denied the report published by Financial Times, discussions have reportedly explored the idea of displaying ads in chat lists. This potential shift highlights Meta's desire to monetize WhatsApp and boost advertising revenue, amid a challenging macro environment.

However, concerns loom about how ads might affect the user experience and prompt users to switch to ad-free alternatives. The move reflects Meta's strategy to adapt to evolving market dynamics and capitalize on WhatsApp's 2.23 billion monthly active users, making it a significant potential advertising platform.

Tyler Blevins, the man behind the powerhouse E-Sports alias Ninja, has taken on the role of Chief Innovation Officer at GameSquare and introduced a groundbreaking wellness platform called Vivior 4SIGHT. The platform is designed to enhance the physical and mental well-being of streamers as they hone their gaming skills, allowing them to track their health and fitness using wearable devices. Monthly challenges offer prizes to those users who demonstrate improvement in their vital metrics.

Developed in collaboration with Swiss tech company Vivior, known for its eye-tracking device, “scouter,” and Ninja Labs, the initiative aligns with Ninja's mission to make a lasting impact on the gaming industry. It kicks off with Ninja leading the first challenge, which began September 19th, and offers enticing rewards such as gaming gear and even a new car to its winners. The product is Ninja’s first produced under his Ninja Labs moniker. GameSquare, backed by its subsidiary Complexity Gaming, will aim to proliferate Ninja Labs’ present and future product offerings throughout the streaming industry, which is expected to compound at 13% annually through 2025.

Twitch's Partner Plus program, set to launch on October 1, introduces a more favorable revenue share for streamers, offering them a 70/30 split with the platform. However, to qualify, streamers must maintain a minimum of 350 paid subscribers for three consecutive months. A recent change allows higher subscription tiers to count for more points toward meeting the 350-subscriber requirement: Tier 1 subs count as one point, Tier 2 subs as two points, and Tier 3 subs as six points.

Additionally, streamers who reach the threshold will enjoy the 70/30 split for 12 months, even if their subscriber count drops below 350 during that period. The initial $100,000 in earnings follows the 70/30 split, reverting to the default 50/50 afterward. While some welcome these changes, there's still a call for gifted subs and Amazon Prime member subs to count toward the Partner Plus requirement. Twitch's "Subtember" event is just around the corner, offering subscription discounts and gift subs, adding to the anticipation of how this new revenue share system will impact streamers.

There’s a not too distant future where creators can be scaled to manage near-infinite interactions, and blockchain and AI are merging to drive that outcome. AfterParty, a blockchain-based startup, recently secured $5 million to launch AfterParty AI, allowing creators to interact with AI versions of themselves to manage fan communication.

The funding comes as the creator economy is poised to double in size to $480 billion by 2027, with a surge in investment in creator-focused AI startups, making Afterparty AI a timely addition to the market.